Sun Kissed Skin
by UnhappyHomicideExperience
Summary: Set during the surveillance in the Yagami household. Light suffers from the after effects of an earthquake in his home. Weird spying, Light needs to open up and slice of life inside. T for theme and language.
1. Chapter 1

**Sun Kissed Skin**

School was finally over. Light had never really liked school, as he already knew the material, but recently the reasons had changed. He walked quickly home, a confident stride in his step. Everything was going perfectly. He smirked to himself. He was winning. He had the upper hand. Soon enough he would be proven innocent whilst still killing criminals under surveillance.

As he approached the house, his mask went back into place, ready for the cameras. Showtime.  
He walked steadily up to the door, shutting it quietly behind him.  
"I'm home." He announced, slipping off his shoes and placing them neatly by the door. Sachiko called a greeting in reply from the kitchen. Picking up his bag, Light ascended the stairs to 'study' in his room as he always did. It was always about routine. Routine helped prove his innocence.

He placed his bag on the floor and removed his sweaty school shirt, placing it in his clothes hamper, which left him in his undershirt. With the events of the day catching up with him, Light lay back onto his bed and closed his eyes, bringing his arms behind his head. Slow and even breathing. He must remain calm. Calm and relaxed. Unnecessary tension is just a hindrance.

Opening his eyes, he sat up and stretched his long limbs.  
"Might as well do some homework." He said, informing his audience of his intentions. He leant over the bed edge and shuffled through his bag until he found the correct text book, then brought it onto the bed. Sighing, he flicked through the book until he arrived at the right page and proceeded to skim read through it. Maths. How boring.

The stationary on his desk rattled slightly, but Light kept his head down. He didn't want to alert the cameras of his concern, especially if that Shinigami Ryuk was making his pens move by themselves.  
'Damn' he thought to himself 'I thought I told him not to touch anything. He's going to get me caught!'

Light turned the page, pretending that he was oblivious to all the supernatural forces in his room. The stationary rattled again and a pen fell onto the floor. His head snapped up, glaring at the damn Shinigami who had caused the abnormality. But he wasn't there. Confusion flooded his features as he was left staring at an empty desk, a pen on the floor. Ryuk chuckled from behind him.  
"You didn't really think that was me did you?" He laughed. Light got up from his bed and walked towards the pen, picking it up and examining it. "I'm not that stupid."

The pen looked normal. It was a pen. But how and why had it ended up on the floor? He cautiously placed the object of his confusion back on the desk and eyed it suspiciously. And that's when the stationary started rattling again.

His eyes widened, watching his pens and pencils twitching as though some unknown force was acting on them. With each second, the shaking intensified. Books that were once sorted alphabetically on his bookshelf, tipped off and over the edge and lay scattered on the floor. Clothes that were once delicately hanging from their designated hanger, slipped out of their hold and collected at the bottom of his wardrobe. His bedside lamp precariously wobbled and fell, smashing on the ground. Then it struck him. This wasn't anything supernatural; it was simply an earthquake.

An earthquake. Shaking. His desk.

Light's eyes widened further. His breath hitched. He scrambled towards the desk draw. His surroundings rumbled and possessions broke. The desk drawer shook as Light yanked it open.  
"Oh sh-"

White light filled his vision.  
His ears rung.

For a moment he was completely numb, a comfortable aura surrounding him as though he were lying in a field of golden corn, a soft breeze sifting through his brown locks. But only for a moment. Then reality kicked in. The pain. So much pain. It rippled through his body, making him tense up and give a strangled cry. It centred on his back, where he assumed he was now lying on. His vision returned, blurry and disorientated. Bright oranges and yellows greeted him, making him wince and his eyes water. They fell closed from weights he couldn't fight against.

Crackling relaxed his thoughts and he felt himself falling into the clutches of sleep. But he didn't want to sleep. Not in his position. Not in this reality. Yet he couldn't fight against the heavenly hands that held his head and numbed his thoughts.

Somewhere within the cotton wool multiplying in his head, Light thought he heard a door slamming and a woman's cry. That was it before unconsciousness claimed him.

 **-a/n-  
It has begun! *insert evil laugh*  
So I playing the Sims with my L sim and Light sim... yeah don't judge ... and this idea suddenly struck me and I was like YES. Anyway, I usually don't write much at any one point but I already have like 3 chapters written, but I'm posting them in bitable chunks becuase I'm kind. What do you mean I should be finishing my other fic? I have plans for that too... maybe**

 **Anyway, I thought earthquakes were common in Japan and yet Death Note had like zero. I mean correct me if I'm wrong, but here have a yummy earthquake. I wanted to practice showing not telling, but sure I don't know if it worked *shrugs***

 **My laptop screen keeps flickering and it's freaking me out. Like I'm ready for the jump scare, bring it on. Just ignore me**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sun Kissed Skin**

Light's singed skin made the white walls appear even whiter. That thought occurred to Sayu when she entered Light's hospital room later that day. She had visited with her parents, who had been restlessly waiting for the moment the nurses had allowed them to witness her brother's condition.

Her mother was the first to find Light unconscious and bleeding on the floor as the fire consumed his being and the room. After that she had managed to call the emergency services, who had carted him away in a screaming van. Sayu had just arrived home. She didn't know what was going on, only that there was a fire and Light in the fire.

Her father had been alerted at some point, probably by her shaking mother who held onto Sayu in the fear of those orange flames reaching her too. So they had all sat worriedly in the waiting room whilst doctors had treated Light's wounds and cleared his airways. When the nurses called them through, Sachiko had paled and clasped Soichiro's arm. They had walked in together, Sayu following and that's when she first saw his skin.

The majority of his body was either under bandages or white bed sheets, but his face was exposed. It had to be, for the tubes that were threaded into his nose. Red and purple hues crept up his skin from where the flames had licked his being. His neck had a mottled texture, as if a creature had eaten away at it, leaving it uneven instead of the smooth, perfect skin Light had paraded so often. It shined with the remnants of fresh blood oozing from the cracks. A sob broke the heavy silence that had filled the room, besides the constant beeping of the heart rate monitor and the hissing of the air ventilator feeding Light's lungs. Sayu glanced up at the perpetrator: her mother. Her gaze fell to Light again.

Soichiro put an arm around Sachiko and whispered reassurance into her ear. He paused and glanced behind himself, to Sayu, making eye contact. Rubbing Sachiko's arm as she leaned into him, he gestured towards the chair next to Light's bed with his spare arm. Sayu looked at it and crept towards it, perching on the chair and looking at Light more closely. She glanced at her father, uncertainty in her eyes. Soichiro gave a subtle smile and a faint nod as to encourage her.

Turning back to Light, Sayu's eyes hesitantly studied her brother's condition. She carefully wiped her stuffy hands on her school skirt before reaching towards the hand closest to her and taking it in her hands. His hand was red raw between the cracks in the bandages. She could feel the warmth radiating from the recent burns. She looked to his peaceful face. His eyes were closed as if he were in a pleasant dream. She held onto his hand tighter, hoping that those serene eyes would open again soon so she could see those chocolatey orbs that were so kind.

A firm hand was placed on her shoulder. She looked up and saw her mother and father looking down at her pleasantly, tears in their eyes.  
"I think it's time to go," Soichiro spoke, his usually gruff voice soft as to not disturb the slumbering boy. Sayu gave a small nod and glanced towards the boy laced with tubes and cloth.  
"Bye big brother." she said, her bubbly voice softened "See you tomorrow."

 **-a/n-**

 **Short chapter this time (I'm sorry), but that's only because the events in the next chapter don't really fit with this. Plus that one's like double this length, so I'll make up for it c:  
I love lil' Sayu, she's so innocent bless**

 **Thanks for the reviews! I really enjoy reading them and they help encourage me to get off my ass and write more ^^**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sun Kissed Skin**

"-ts going to be o-"  
"-ust hang in there, k-"  
"-the, slow and dee-"  
"-ye, big brot-"

* * *

As he resurfaced, the overwhelming scent of cleanliness filled his nostrils. A steady beeping could be heard and the soft ruffling of paper as someone moved around the room. Everything felt numb. A numbness that convinced him that he had no other limbs. But he couldn't be alive if he were just a head. And the evidence of his life lay in the beeping.

He tried to open his eyes, but they were firmly shut, as though they had been taped. Instead, he willed any body part to move- wherever they might be. A hand. A finger. Yes, he was sure he still had one of those. He woke the neurones from their slumber and strained to move just one finger. He could hear the beeping increase its pace slightly with his efforts. The shuffling abruptly stopped. Light focused again.

Then in a sudden moment of clarity, he allowed his finger to twitch. He had done it. Yet all that effort had left him suddenly tired. He felt his thoughts wavering, drifting back to the unknown again. A soft droning entered his thoughts. A voice, it occurred to him. But he was too tired to decipher what words had been spoken. And instead fell victim to the clutches of sleep once again.

* * *

Pain. Coldness. A stabbing sensation rippled through his body. The beeping increased. A lady's voice. The air on his skin. "It's okay Light. …-ust changing the meds, okay hu-" Warmth. Numbness. Sleep.

* * *

It was quiet when he next regained consciousness. Quiet, as well as the usual background noise. He didn't feel as numb this time, just pleasantly comfortable. He twitched a finger easily and a sense of joy and accomplishment coursed through him. The weights on his eyes had been lifted, tempting him to open them. He peeled his eyelids apart, a thin slither of hospital whiteness meeting his vision and causing him to groan. A small movement was made next to him and, despite the brightness, he forced his eyes open further.  
"Light?" An unsteady voice said. Light moved his eyes in that direction and moved his head slightly. Sitting in the chair next to his bed sat his father.  
"D-dad?" He croaked, his voice sore from disuse. Soichiro's face lit up and tears sparkled in his tired eyes.  
"I'm so glad you're alright." He spoke. Light strained to sit up, curiosity of his surroundings eating at his mind. His body ached and caused him to groan again. A hand settled on his arm. His father's. He was pushing him back down. "It's okay, Light. You don't have to get up." Light released a breath and lay back on the bed, tired of fighting against his own capabilities and his father's judgement. His eyes closed slightly, reducing the intensity of the light. His nose was slightly itchy from the tubes near his nose. He knew not to itch them away though, due to them holding the air needed for his breathing.

"Light?" his father inquired. His hand was still on his arm, rubbing circles gently. Light gave a soft groan in response. Talking took too much of his energy. "Light; Sayu and your mother are in the cafeteria. They'll be here soon. Do you think you can hold on for them?" he continued, obviously worried about his son's capability to stay awake long enough. He gave a small nod and let his eyes close, as to conserve some energy. His mother. His sister. He had to do it for them. But… why was he in a hospital? He didn't understand. What happened? He was about to ask his father when the squeaking of a door opening disrupted his thoughts.

He cracked open his eyes slightly, again. The stroking on his arm ceased as his father moved away. He willed himself to look at the door, but failed and ended up in just groaning again at the physical exertion.  
"Light?!" Sayu's excited voice cut through the air. She playfully bounded towards the hospitalised teen, and threw her arms around his small frame. Although it was uncomfortable, Light smiled softly and leaned into the mountain of hair that had tumbled in front of his face.

A sniffle caused Sayu to break away and her attention moved to another entity in the room. His mother, Light guessed. Sachiko moved closer to his side and wrapped her arms around him, similar to Sayu but less hair. Her breathing was uneven. Light could feel dampness forming on the sheets.  
"It's okay mom" he whispered and Sachiko released him, taking a look at his face. She smiled and placed a hand on his cheek.  
"You're so brave" she said softly "I'm so proud of you."

Soichiro stood and allowed Sachiko to sit in his place instead, but she refused and whispered something about finding a nurse before leaving the room. His father sat back down and Sayu perched on his bed, the mattress making a whirring sound as it attempted to stay level. Light tried to move his arms but found them stiff with bandages. Feeling rather helpless and tired, he looked to his father.  
"Dad, c-can I sit up?" he asked, his voice breaking slightly from the strain.  
"Of course" he nodded and proceeded to find the control pad with the bed options. Light relaxed as the bed moved up, allowing him to be in a sitting position and view the room more easily.

It was a simple room. White walls, white floors, white sheets. The little furniture there was made of plastic. Machines and LED lights. The room stunk of artificial preservation and the need for cleanliness. It was at that point Light decided he hated it.

Sayu beamed at him with joy and relief and Light found himself smiling too. Then he remembered his previous thoughts. His smile faded and he looked to his bandaged state.  
"What happened?" He asked. Soichiro frowned as Sayu looked towards him, and cleared his throat.  
"Well son," he started, gathering his words together "What do you remember?" Light closed his eyes as he tried to recall whatever might have happened. His face contorted in confusion.  
"I don't know…" he admitted sadly "There are gaps, but I remember studying in my room."

Soichiro's face grew concerned, but he strained for a smile to reassure the teen.  
"That's right." He leaned back in his chair, snippets of what happened through the cameras flickering through his mind. "You got home and studied." He paused and there was a thick silence.

"Light… two days ago Japan experienced a magnitude 6 earthquake which affected our home." He paused again, causing Light to look up and meet his gaze. "We're not sure what happened, but it started a house fire in your room. There was no warning and you were caught in it."  
He lowered his gaze, and Light followed his lead, feeling his eyes closing as tiredness seeped into them. He desperately tried to remember. But failed.

 **-a/n-**

 **Boom. As promised, longer. Meh I don't really know about hospitals, so this was a bit of a weird chapter. I'm pretty bad at writing dialogue, so excuse the awfulness :s**

 **I hope you're enjoying this as much as I am writing it xD Reviews are greatly appreciated and thanks for the support!  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sun Kissed Skin**

The door squeaked again and in walked Sachiko and a doctor. Light looked up and followed him as he picked up the files attached to the foot of his bed. Glancing at them, he turned to Light and smiled kindly.  
"Glad to see you're awake, Yagami-kun." He walked to the bed side and checked the display on the respirator. "You're a real fighter y'know."

He bent down to face Light and pulled a torch out of his pocket, placing the files on the table next to the bed.  
"I'm going to shine this in your eyes now, okay?" he warned before turning it on and blinding Light. His spare hand kept Light's head sturdy as he shined the light in his eyes and studied the result. Light flinched from the contact on his face, causing the doctor to raise an eyebrow.  
"Are you in pain, Yagami-kun?" he asked, switching the torch off and picking up the file again. Light nodded and felt his eyes closing.  
"At times" the doctor nodded in understanding.

"Your face seems to be healing nicely" he noted, writing some figures and results on the file. "Right, I could ask a nurse to check and change your bandages. That might help." He looked up at Sachiko and Soichiro  
"If either of you want to stick around, we could show you what to do." He turned back to Light, who was lying there peacefully.  
"Yagami-kun, are you still awake?" he enquired. The teen made a small mumble in response. "I guess the meds are just doing their work. How bout we wake you up when the nurse arrives?" he suggested, earning a small nod from the teen. Saying farewell, the doctor placed the files in the holder at the foot of the bed and left.

* * *

When the nurse arrived to change his bandages, Light noticed that Sayu and Sachiko were missing. He looked around groggily and saw his father standing at the foot of the bed. Closing his eyes briefly, he shifted uncomfortably under the sheets. The heavenly white sheets felt more like sandpaper than clouds, once slept in long enough. Their presence was repulsive and left him feeling hot under the bandages that snaked around him. The nurse smiled sweetly at him.  
"Let's get those bandages changed, shall we?" She said, causing Light to grimace with the condescending tone. 'Akane', as read from her badge, turned to Soichiro "I suggest you pay attention for when he's discharged."

She proceeded to unravel the bandages on his arms, making idle chatter along the way. Chatter which wasn't even remotely related or interesting. All the while, Light considered the necessity of the name badge worn by her as she informed him on her life story and the inspiring background behind her name. Luckily, he wasn't expected to respond to her, as the drugs still made him a little dazed. That job was left to his father, who looked stressed.

As his arms were revealed, Light struggled to believe that they belonged to him. Patches of red and purple hues travelled up them both, delicate skin healing around the edges. His right was worse. Whatever he had been doing when the incident occurred, it was plain to see that his right arm was nearer to the flames. That arm had harsher colours, the arm looking as though his flesh had temporarily melted and re-moulded into an uneven form.

What convinced him that it was his arm, was the searing pain that throbbed through them when 'Akane' treated and redressed them, talking through the process as if Light was fully awake. Light tried not to show the pain, biting the inside of his cheek as more of the flesh was covered by white wraps. The ointment which was applied, stung at first but soon the cooling impact kicked in, and he felt his fisted hands slowly loosen its grip.

Before he had a chance to recover, the nurse moved onto his torso and legs, treating and redressing as if he were a Christmas present. By the time it had finished, despite being partially deaf and his brain filled with nonsense courtesy of 'Akane', Light was feeling more comfortable and relaxed. He felt his eyelids becoming heavier, the pain dulling due to the drugs, and the parting farewells of the nurse.

Soichiro had stood by his bedside, saying he had to get to work, thus meaning Light would be alone again. Light understood. His father was working on the Kira case. He needed all the time available in order to make any progress. With this in mind, he nodded, smiling softly. Soichiro smiled and left.

The room was cold.

* * *

Light felt more awake. But there was no other being there to have a stimulating conversation with. Akane was dotting around, checking the IV levels and readings on the many machines plugged into him. Clearing his throat, Light broke the quietness within the room.  
"What's the day today?" He asked, aware of the lack of calendars on the bare walls. Akane looked up, surprised that the usually slumbering teen was talking to her. She smiled.  
"Why it's January 14th."

Light's face paled.  
"But I remember going to school on the 10th. That means I've missed four days of studying." He muttered, silently panicking over the slight blip in his school records. "I've never had a day off before."

"It's okay, I'm sure you'll be discharged soon." She said softly, trying to reassure the teen. Light turned to her, his chocolate honey eyes sharper than they were before.

"I want to leave." He stated, causing her to pause in her work and stare at him. "I want to go home."

 **-a/n-**

 **Thanks for reading! Next chapter up soonish :s**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sun Kissed Skin**

It was another two days until the doctors considered discharging Light Yagami from the hospital. His wounds were by no account fully healed, but the doctors were certain Light was able to redress his own bandages, as he kept reminding them. The medication had been reduced to a smaller dosage and strength, and the tubes feeding him had been removed. They even let him put a pair of sweatpants and baggy tshirt over his bandaged body, that his mother had provided. Yes, they were supposed to be more for comfort, and no, he shouldn't be caring about appearances, but never had he worn such an outfit. And never would he ever want to be seen in such an outfit.

In the time it took the doctors to reach this conclusion, Light had become fully aware of his surroundings when awake. And although he couldn't sit up on his own, due to the burns on his stomach, he was often found completing the killer sudoku's in the daily newspaper that his mother would drop around when she visited. This helped to keep the recovering teen quiet with an occupied mind, which helped to save the nurses and doctors from his pressing wish to return home.

When the fateful day arrived, Soichiro was at headquarters, working on the Kira case. They were looking through the patterns of the killings and other related data. It had occurred to L that more of the heart attack victims were falling into the 'were criminals in the past' category and not the 'just televised' category. This had raised some questions in the small room. Why had Kira stopped punishing new criminals? Was it a new ideal? Was Kira away from a news source? Although he didn't want to admit it, both to himself and Soichiro, L still suspected Light Yagami. The teen had recently had an accident and had been hospitalised for several days. Almost as many days as Kira had changed his killing patterns. Because of this, and against the wishes of Yagami-san, L had kept the cameras in the teen's room. He wanted to continue to study the boy's actions when he returned.

Soichiro stood, disrupting the silence of hard studying and analysing within the room. Broken out of his reasoning thoughts, L looked up from his place on the hotel couch and regarded the older man. Said man was pulling on his coat and wiping the tiredness of several all-nighters from his aged eyes.

"What's going on Chief?" Matsuda asked, causing the other detectives to pause and regard the scene. L turned back to his papers as Soichiro smiled proudly, a sight rarely seen by the serious detective.  
"Nothing's going on Matsuda," he said, pulling his collar up "I'm meeting Light at the hospital, he's getting out today." This gained some sounds of approval and the occasional 'oh that's good' from the overly-tired task force. L on the other hand brought a thumb to his lips. So, Light was returning home. Just as he was questioning his involvement in the Kira case again.

* * *

When the car pulled up into the driveway, Light's stomach churned. He was finally home, but never before had the house appeared so intimidating. He watched it out the window as his father got out from the driver's side and removed his crutches from the car boot. Its presence loomed over him. The once welcoming front door appeared cold and distant. A blur of haziness settled in his mind, a misplaced thought or memory associated with the familiar setting. He frowned in confusion.

He was broken out of his reverie by his father, who opened his passenger door, placing the crutches beside the car. The hospital had recommended taking it easy on his legs due to them aching from the accident and the excessive bed rest. He had agreed reluctantly, wanting to become independent again as soon as possible. With this in mind, he inwardly cringed as his father helped him out of the car and into his crutches. Sayu and Sachiko were already in the house, cleaning and making dinner for his arrival. Soichiro had arrived at the hospital alone, inhaling all the information the doctors had given him regarding medication and restrictions. Light looked up at the house again, the house he hadn't stepped foot in since that fateful day.

"Are you okay, son?" His father asked him as he assisted his son slowly towards the house. Light hesitated before giving a short nod. He realised that his gaze had been rather vacant, troubled by distant thoughts. "Let's take it slowly okay."

* * *

They all sat around the dining table, the clicking of chopsticks against bowls ringing in the air. He slowly ate at the ramen before him, still adjusting to having nutritional, physical food unlike the hospital. It had appeared that everyone was at a loss for words, unable to think of an appropriate topic to break the silence with. Light, tired of being left with his own thoughts of the elephant in the room, paused in his eating and looked up at his father, addressing him.

"How's the case going dad?" Soichiro looked up and smiled at Light's attempt at talking. However, this smile soon turned into a frown as he was reminded of his work.

"It's as difficult as ever. There are few leads to go on, so everyone's putting in as much time as they can." He paused, putting his chopsticks down beside his empty bowl "I'm sorry for not being around more often."

Light gave a fake smile. "You're just trying to protect us; we can't blame you for anything." He spoke, also putting down his chopsticks next to his half-finished bowl. He took his tablets which were placed beside his bowl, gulping them down with a glass of water. He turned to his mother "Mom, I'm feeling tired, can I go up?"

Sachiko looked up at him and smiled sweetly "Of course, do you need some help getting up the stairs?" He internally cringed at the word _help_. And as much as it killed him to answer that request, he knew it was for the best.  
"Yes please."

* * *

"Light if you need anything, all you have to do is ask." Sachiko reminded him, as he stepped into his bedroom.

"I know, I'm fine." He closed the door behind him and breathed a sigh of relief. He was back. The piercing stench of new paint met his nostrils, causing him to sharply look up and observe his surroundings. Part of his wall had been repainted, judging by the slight variation of colour. Some of his possessions had changed too. His bedding was different, new. His books were back on his bookcase, unorganised and a mess. His desk… was gone. Light frowned. It was his memory. In all his life it hadn't failed him, except for now. He sighed, closing his eyes briefly to relieve himself of his confusion.

The front door closed. Its impact resonated throughout the house. Light assumed that Soichiro had left to return to work. That was usually the case anyway. The teenager limped to his bed and sat on its side, laying the crutches on the floor next to him. A wave of tiredness submerged him, causing his eyes to close and mind to slow down. He lay down, pulling his legs onto the bed and the duvet over himself. Numerous times he had questioned the sanity of those who slept in their clothes. Yet in his circumstance, with sleep taking priority over his hygiene, it didn't bother him. In fact, it hadn't even crossed his mind as he was swept over into unconsciousness.

 **-a/n-**

 **Oh... hello L... why what are you doing here? How weird of you to be popping up in unexpected places.**

 **Dammit guys I'm supposed to be revising for real things, but I just can't stop writing. This has never happened before. I think I'm catching something. Like the opposite of writer's block where all I can do is write. Also killer sudoku's. Sudoku's for killers... yep.**

 **And I can't stop listening to Brand New. They're *cries* beautiful. Vices? That's a legend. But I can't get Handcuffs ;) or Luca out my head like give me a break. Whoops I think I've written too much lol**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sun Kissed Skin**

Shaking  
White light  
A strangled cry  
The flames

Light awoke with a start, gasping for breath. Shaking. Breathing uneven and strangled. His hands dug at his chest. His throat. He needed to breath. He needed to escape the fire. The fire. The fire. Thefirethefirethefirethefirethefire-

He remembered.

It was the fire. He sat up. Tears bled down his face. It hurt. The burns. The heat. The fire- he choked on a breath. He brought his hands to his face, gorging his eyes out with the memory. He pulled at his mussed hair. He was a wreck. A wreck. A wreckawreckawreack-

No. Calm. Deep breaths. He was safe. There was no fire. No fire.

He stumbled out of his bed, forgetting about the crutches. The bathroom. He needed to wash away the fire. He crept on the landing, limping, tripping, falling. The hard floor met his bandaged being and he stifled a cry. Pathetic. That's what he was. He got back up, stumbling to the bathroom and falling against the sink. Water. His fingers fumbled with the tap. Cool, cold wa- red.

It caught his eye. The red. He stiffened and slowly lifted his gaze to the mirror. The red. The scars. Clawing at his jaw, defiling his mask. His face. The scars. The fire.

"no…" he breathed, his vision becoming blurry from tears "no…" He scrunched his eyes closed, wetting his hands and splashing water onto his face. "No." He repeated the process. Again. "No." Again.

"Light?" Light's head shot up. Sayu. She stood at the door, her eyes wide. Light looked back in the mirror. His bandaged hands were wet, stinging. His shirt was dripping. New blood seeped from between the bandages on his arms. His eyes. They were red. Void of emotion. Except terror. He closed them, hating the sight. He took deep breaths. Calm. His breathing became slower, even, controlled.

He turned back to Sayu and gave her a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine." He whispered, staggering out of the bathroom past her, holding onto the wall and door to steady himself. He headed into his room and shut the door, collapsing onto his bed. He didn't utter another word. Just shut his eyes and released a staggered sigh.

* * *

When morning arrived Light's head felt fuzzy. His eyes stung. He checked the time, and realised school had already started. Obviously his mum had decided that he should take a day off. He picked up new clothes and made his way into the shower, with the help of his crutches. Stripping off his old clothes and bandages, he stepped into the shower, setting it so it was gentle, as to not cause him too much pain. Once out, he applied the hospital's ointment and rewrapped new bandages. He avoided looking into the mirror.

He carefully made his way downstairs and into the kitchen, resting heavily on his crutches. Sachiko was making something in a bowl. She turned around from the clinking of his crutches on the tiled floor.

"Oh, good morning Light. I didn't realise you were up." She said, wiping her hands on her apron "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." Light lied, looking at the bowl "What are you making?"

Sachiko turned back around and stirred the spoon in the bowl again. "Cookies." She answered. "Your father said they were popular at his work." She looked over her shoulder and saw Light still standing there. "I could gather something together for you in a few minutes if you want to wait in the living room?"

Light gave a nod and turned to settle himself on the couch. He placed his crutches on the floor and sat tensely in his seat. He let his thoughts drift. Unfortunately, they went to the night before. How could he had forgotten such a thing as the fire that attacked him?

The fire.

Light flinched as a hand rested on his shoulder. He looked up and saw Sachiko, a plate of cookies in her hand. She nudged them towards him, which he accepted.

"You okay, Light?" She enquired, standing expectantly before him. Light nodded and looked to the cookies in his hands.

"Yeah, just bored." He admitted "I need some work to distract myself." Sachiko smiled and walked back to the kitchen, leaving Light on his own.

* * *

The task force were hard at work, analysing and reevaluating the data, trying to find any connections. Any reason as to why Kira's killings had decreased in number. L thoughts however had meandered to that of Light Yagami. His case just seemed far more interesting. For the past few days the burn victim had seemed fine, a cheery attitude present whenever he had company. It was fairly convincing. Fairly.

L knew the truth. Light was affected by what had happened. He just didn't want to admit it. The teen had remembered what had happened, judging by the increased nightmares and anxiety. Light always woke to nightmares. There was a 70 percent chance they were triggered by the incident, 29 percent chance that they were related to Kira and a 1 percent chance that it was unrelated misfortune.

Light had returned to school but it seemed to have no effect on the teen. Instead, when he returned he tucked himself away in his room to 'study'. He studied the wall, sitting emotionlessly against his door. L flicked to the camera feed on his laptop, certain that the task force weren't paying attention to his actions. Again, Light was sat against his door. His eyes were vacant. His face was expressionless. It was rather disconcerting to see the teen in such a state. Silently suffering. Memories eating at his mind.

L turned to the working Soichiro.

"Yagami-san?" He enquired, breaking the concentration of the older man.

"Yes Ryuzaki." He answered, taking a sip of his coffee to brace himself for the detective's words.

"How is Light doing?"

Soichiro looked startled. His face grew a look of confusion. It's almost as if he's surprised that I care for the wellbeing of other people. L thought to himself. Soichiro, oblivious to L's hobby of observing the young Yagami, answered;

"He's recovering well, Ryuzaki. He's just started back at college, so that should keep him occupied."

L hummed and turned back to his laptop, perched on the coffee table. Was Light truly alone in this? Did everyone truly accepted that the teen had just… recovered? L brought a thumb to his lips. Maybe he was recovered and it was just stress. Stress of work building up and the role of Kira? That could explain the decline in killings. He could be too stressed to upkeep his daily quota. Not that L was complaining. He needed to learn more about Light.

"In that case, I might too start college." He said around his thumb. Soichiro spat out his coffee.

 **-a/n-**

 **Work has distracted me Light. Trust me, you don't need that. Honestly, I have like zero time D:  
** **Anyway, thanks for reading! And the reviews! I appreciate it ^-^**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sun Kissed Skin**

 _Light fell to the floor, his body numb. He looked up, staring through the flickering orange that bordered his vision. It was happening again. He was going to die. He couldn't run. He couldn't escape. Only death awaited him._

 _No._

 _He was going to make it. He had to. Trembling from the exertion, he pulled his body off the floor, sitting up and staggering onto his feet. Feet that felt dead to him. A jolt of pain spread through his arm. It was bloody, bleeding and his shirt was torn, singed away. He had to do this._

 _Limping towards the door, Light walked past the fire, away from this hell. The door. The door. It was so close. He stumbled into its structure and fumbled with the handle. Finally. He was going to make it. With an effortful pull, the door flew open. His escape. An end._

 _"Light." A voice startled him from behind. His brows furrowed and he turned to the source. It was him. An untouched Light stood among the flames, his eyes hidden by his long hair, a smirk spread across his lips._

 _"W-who are you?" The bloodied teen asked, his voice shaking with nerves. The perfect one walked towards him, grasping Light's chin and forcing him to stare into his glowing, red eyes. The flames approached him. His smirk widened._

 _"w̷̠͚͍̥͈̗̪̻h̼̠̺̠̩̲ỳ̯̪ ̨̥̘̻̫̩d҉̢̪̺͉͢o̷҉͉̘̦̪̤͟e͇͚̠̰̻̥̯̯̳s͈͡ͅ ͈͙̬͈̗̗͕͠i̷̜̹̺̙t̶̯̣̦̙ ͉̻̰̀̕m̛̮̩̭̯͜͟-̝͉̝͙̘̠̣̦̭.̷̵̨͖̥̺̝̘̤͔.̠͖̺̲.̖̤̦̹͢ͅ.̷̯̘̤ "_ "Light!"

Light gasped, sucking in a shaking breath, his eyes shooting open. He was in his room. His desk wasn't there. There were no flames. "You're going to be late!"

Light whimpered, being brought back to reality. As much as he wanted to continue laying there, he didn't want to be taken back into that disturbing dream.  
"Dammit." He cursed to himself. He had promised not to fall asleep. He didn't want to go through another nightmare; the relentless replaying of _that day_. However, he had failed once more. Due to his desk not being there, he had to sit on his bed, which however hard to tried to stay awake, always resulted in him falling asleep.

He sat up, throwing his legs over the edge of the bed, and popping a couple of pills into his mound with trembling hands. He was going to be late. Late. Another failure to add to his growing list of imperfections. He slipped on his shirt from off the floor and wiggled on his trousers. He pulled on his school and picked up his crutches.

"Don't forget your lunch!" Light sighed as he approached the front door. He had already managed to skip breakfast, promising to his mother for the past few days that he would go to a café on his way to school. But there was no escaping his lunch, which awaited him in his mother's hands by the door.

He accepted it, giving a small smile to Sachiko to ease her worries.  
"Have a nice day!" She sung, heading back into the kitchen. Light quickly exited the house and made his way down the street, his crutches tapping periodically on the floor. He dropped his lunch into a public bin as he passed it. It would only make him sick anyway. Dinner was bad enough as it was on its own.

Light's features smoothed over as school approached. His mask was in place. School. The word made him internally grimace. He hated it more than ever. People stared at him for all the wrong reasons. People pitied him and helped him with menial tasks that he could (and would) do himself. People bombarded him with questions. Questions of what happened. Of how it happened.

It pained him to relieve it. He didn't want to talk about it and instead ignored those directed advances into his head, preferring to dodge as much human contact as possible.  
"Liiiight!" A screech interrupted his thoughts. His eyes narrowed slightly, but he kept his current pace, feigning ignorance. "How's my Light today?" The creature clung to his arm, making it even more difficult to limp down towards the school gate. The girl, whom Light had never seen before, didn't wait for him to answer and instead started rambling about her life and the latest update on Hideki Ryuga's love life, as filmed by SakuraTV.

Light had hoped that the scar that now clung to his features would help to repel these pests from his presence, as his 'imperfection' would seem unworthy of their shallow, pointless company. But instead, it had done the opposite. The scar gave these creatures an excuse to constantly be around him, 'helping' him whilst they arrived to lesson late and sticking themselves to his side to ensure that he didn't trip from those steady crutches.

Light forcefully bid farewell to this unknown human and made his way towards the library. That was his current home. Seeing as many of his classes required stairs to access them, many of the teachers had pitied him and allowed him to complete the lesson work in the library, which was on the ground floor. Light honestly didn't know why he still went to school. It was too much effort for what it was worth, the work he could easily have completed at home. This menial torture only served the purpose to regain a fake sense of normality for his parents to relax over. As long as his parents were okay. Then nothing was wrong.

* * *

The bell rang, causing the teen to jump slightly. It was lunch. Just two more hours of this hell. Light put away his notepad which he had been trying to complete his work in. However, the pages held minimal, vague answers. They gave the aura of an owner who had rushed through them, when it had been quite the opposite.

Light scrunched his eyes and rubbed at his temples, easing away a newly forming headache. He sighed and got up, throwing on his coat and his bag over his shoulder before limping out of the building. The doctors had said that he wouldn't be needing the crutches for much longer, and he was looking forward to standing on his own two feet. Maybe then the pain will ease away.

He kept his head down as he walked through the school corridors, past the judgmental stares of the other students. Despite it being cold outside, Light exited the building, his cheeks tingling from the sudden exposure to the bitter air. He made his way along a path away from the main school buildings where he collapsed onto a bench under a tree within the school's grounds.

It was peaceful there. There were no other people. No annoying fangirls pestering him and no concerned teachers making awkward small talk. He sighed and closed his eyes, enjoying the silence.

His stomach grumbled slightly. Light frowned, scolding himself mentally for being so weak. He zipped up his coat further as so that his chin and mouth were covered by the fabric. Silence. An air so calm that he could fall asleep…

 _Crunch._  
Light's eyes snapped open. He thanked the gods for saving him from his close encounter with sleep with that well timed… crunch? Light frowned in confusion. A movement flickered in the corner of his eye. He turned slowly and his frown deepened with the discovery of the being sat on the bench next to him.

The person was oddly crouched on the wooden bench, his knees pulled close to his chest as he bit into a biscuit. He wore a plain white shirt, baggy jeans and scuffed trainers. Did he not feel the cold? The boy paused in his actions, glancing at Light behind his unruly hair. Light quickly smoothed his features and looked away. What a weird person.

After a pause, the boy went back to munching on his biscuit. A chocolate biscuit… A grumble sounded again from his stomach against his will. Light's cheeks flared up in embarrassment. The munching had stopped again.

"The line has been significantly reduced compared to earlier." The boy spoke in a smooth baritone "I suggest going now if you were planning on purchasing anything." Light frowned again, pulling down at his coat to free his mouth. He felt offended. Despite what he assumed was kindness, instead came across as a critique of his eating habits. Who gave him the right to talk to him and suggest such a thing? If anything, he should be worried about his own eating habits.

"I'm fine, thanks." He said, keeping a polite façade. Even if this stranger wanted to be rude, he wasn't going to join in on this little game. The teen hummed slightly in thought and Light glanced at him. They boy's eyes were large and unblinking, staring at the remnants of the biscuit in his hand. His hand that was exposed to the cold air. He really didn't want to socialise, but curiosity got the better of him. "Are you not cold?"

The black-haired teen look startled and turned his attention to Light. Light look at him blankly, not wanting to suggest an interest in the other's wellbeing. Big onyx eyes gazed straight into his own, so much so that he felt he wasn't being looked at at all.  
"Now that you mention it," he started, swallowing his mouthful of snack "I failed to deduce the temperature today. So yes, I am slightly cold."

"You didn't think it'd be cold… in January?" Light crossed his arms, breaking the uncomfortable eye contact "In any case I suggest you go inside unless you were planning on getting ill."

"I'll go inside if you'll join me." The boy said with an amused tone. Light's attention fully turned to him.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" He asked, offended at such an idea.  
"No. You don't." The boy said, finishing his biscuit. "I'm Ryuzaki. I've just transferred."

Light looked at him suspiciously.  
"Light Yagami." He introduced before standing up and adjusting the bag on his shoulders. Ryuzaki's head lifted, a look of surprise briefly crossing his features.

"Are you accepting my offer?" He said, also standing but in a slouched manner. Light paused in his fiddling's with his crutches.

"No. I just want to get away from you."

 **-a/n-**

 **So finally an update :s I'm sorry  
There's just so much going on with school and jobs and urgh... plz just leave me with my anime.**

 **I'm going to MCM Comic con in November, if anyone else is going? Idk. I'll be cosplaying as Riza Hawkeye and Haru Nanase. It'd be cool if I see anyone there though I doubt with the chances** **¯\\_(ツ)_/¯**

 **Thanks for reading, and reviewing. I appreciate the support c:**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sun Kissed Skin**

Crunching of frozen soil filled the air as the two genii made their way towards the college building. L was several paces behind the slow progress of Light, who tried to ignore his new stalker.

L found his gaze drifting to the teen's jawline. The crumpled pink flesh looked so much harsher in person. It travelled up his neck and along the right side of his face, flickering at his nose and around his eye. The red carpet trail ran further down his neck, beneath his long hair and coat, whose collar was pulled close to his skin. L noted that he wore gloves. Whether that was because of the cold or the shame brought with the scars, it was hard to tell.

Light stopped and turned to Ryuzaki, his masked eyes meeting his own blank stare. He paused for a few seconds, the silence growing between them.  
"Is something the matter Light-kun?" L ventured, finding no conclusion as to Light's actions. Light's gaze hardened.  
"That's what I should be asking you." He said, an annoyed frown briefly crossing his features.

"Oh," Ryuzaki offered "In that case, I am fine, but I appreciate your concern." Light sighed and started walking towards the building again, L following.

"Why are you following me, Ryuzaki-san?" Light said bluntly, jumping to the point because his stalker seemed to struggle with the concept of social norms.

"Isn't that what friends do, Light-kun?" He said, his breath fogging the air in front of him. "Also, call me Ryuzaki. There's no need to be so formal." Light sighed.

"I'm struggling to remember the moment where we became friends"

* * *

Light looked over the top of his textbook, at the strange man who was sat curled up on the plastic chair across the table. He snuck a glance at the librarian and the other students, but they all seemed focused on their own task, seemingly unconcerned with the spindly spider-frog that sat before him. Light frowned slightly as he observed the distracted boy, who was fully occupied fiddling with a lollipop wrapper. He knew he was 'popular' at school, but what was this guy playing at? What was he trying to get from hanging out with Light Yagami.

"Light-kun?"

Light startled, realising he had been caught in his own thoughts, still looking at Ryuzaki. He dropped his gaze, focussing on the mundane text before him, and trying to wash away the humiliation he felt swallowing his being at such an act happening.

"If he wants, I could offer a more mentally stimulating topic than torques." Light stifled a laugh at his suggestion. As if anything could match his superior intellect. That he had to see.

"Sure, why not?" He offered a fake smile, putting down the textbook and allowing his full concentration to be on Ryuzaki, who looked blankly at him, the lollipop balanced between his lips.

"What are Light-kun's views on Kira?"

.

"…what?"

"Kira. I would have thought that Light-kun's aware of the news." Ryuzaki continued, his eyes boring into Lights own ones. Light felt himself freezing up, unexpecting such a topic to come up. Though with how quickly the phenomenon was growing, he should have expected some reference to it. He paused and took a deep breath matching the detective's stare.

"I don't think that's an appropriate topic for this setting." He started.

"Why not?" Ryuzaki countered "From my knowledge, I was under the impression that people were allowed to discuss any topic that they deemed suitable."

Light leaned forward slightly, his hands clenched "And it's not suitable, because if Kira were here he could be getting tips on the case. For all I know, you could be Kira, Ryuzaki." L appeared slightly started, his interest peaking.

"Me?" Light brought a hand through his brown locks, staring at the ceiling slightly before settling on the detective again.

"Yes you. You're being as stubborn as Kira is right now. Just let it go okay, I don't feel in the mood for talking anymore."

"You think Kira's stubborn?" He questioned. Light glared at him.

"Yes, if killing Lind L Tailor is anything to go by. He's very stubborn. Stubborn and childish."

And just like that Ryuzaki went quiet, slightly biting his thumb and his expression lost in thought. Light frowned slightly. What was this guy's problem? Ryuzaki hummed slightly.

"Perhaps this isn't the setting for such a conversation…" He considered. Light smirked slightly at his victory, but it fell with the realisation of his own thoughts. _Since when did I become so competitive._

"Say Light-kun, how about we continue this at the café down the road after school?" He ventured, bringing another lollipop out of his pocket. Light tensed. A café? With this strange…stranger? Surrounded by food and other people?

L saw the hesitation in Light's expression, before trying to put up his façade again. It didn't work. Light was stiff, uncomfortable with being in the same air as those words.

"Um... I'd rather not." He ventured, trying to be polite yet assertive of his opinion. "I'm sorry."

L mentally frowned. Where had that arrogant spark gone that had emitted from the teen's earlier words. Now he was back to a shell. The same shell that appeared around his parents. Wanting to encourage the teen to open up (and perhaps spill some valuable information), L attempted to use what Watari called 'manners' within the social discourse.

"That's no problem Light-kun." He tried, but noticed his voice held too little feeling to accurately create a false sense of caring. He eyed Light, who had returned to his school text book, and still appeared tense. It hadn't worked. Well… time to go wild.

"Light-kun." He announced, gaining the other's attention. "How do we know that our experience of consciousness, is the same as another person's experience of consciousness?"

The suspect looked amused.

* * *

Light pushed around the yakisoba in his bowl. His mother and sister were sat at the table, happily eating as Sayu retold a funny story of her and her friends. Her mother politely listened, her eyes slightly crinkled at the edges from a happily aging life. Light stared at his bowl, wishing away this chore of a moment. The day's events swirled around in his head, thoughts of Ryuuzaki, of their weird conversation and his embarrassment. He brought a noodle to his lips and slurped a mouthful. That teen truly did spark some curiosity within him. For such an odd-looking person, he was surprised that he had been able to match his intelligence. But he hadn't even asked about his scar. _Isn't that what friends do, Light-kun?_

He took another bite of the food, it's warmth filling his mouth and spreading through his body. Warmth. It was so filling, so unnecessary. The grease coated his teeth, streaming its way down his throat. The curdling excuse for a meal hitting his sore taste buds and making him nauseous. Everything was too strong, too overwhelming. He couldn't breathe. It was too warm. Hecouldntbreathehecouldn't-

"Light?" His mother. It was his mother. He swallowed the remaining grease. The yakisoba was held near his mouth. He wasn't sure for how long it had been there. His breathing was slowing. _Oh god I'm a failure_. He brought the yakisoba down from his lips and back to his bowl. Without looking up, he excused himself from the table, and clumsily tucked his chair back in before ascending the stairs to the bathroom, where he settled his increasing nausea with cold water hitting his face.

* * *

Darkness plagued the sky. The same that filled his body. He just needed to get away.

He limped, realising he had forgotten his crutches and dragged himself along the sidewalk, away from his home, away from the memories. The only light was that which was offered from a street lamp, its glare giving the surroundings an eerie orange hue. He kept going, stuffing his hands into his jacket's pockets as to keep in the warmth and hide the shaking.

A building ahead offered a comfortable light. It's aura was one of commitment, of it remaining open throughout the night. The cold was numbing. It chapped his cheeks. He stumbled up to the door and let himself in. Warmth.

Walking past the desolate tables and chairs, he approached the far corner of the shop. A seat. Warmth. He paled, the familiar feeling of being trapped smelling thick in the air he breathed. His throat thickened with dread. It was the café. It was the warmth.

He lowered his head onto the table, surrounding himself in his arms where he released shuddering breaths. He just wanted to forget. To be taken away from this place. A cloud entered his head, numbing his thoughts and threatening him with sleep. But couldn't. Hecouldnthecouldnthecoudnt. Not with the burden of what he knew was waiting for him. Not in this unfamiliar place. His eyes were heavy, his heart was heavy. It shouldn't be like this.

"Light-kun?"

He froze.

He couldn't see him like this. Not like anything. He felt himself pale further. It was too much. This was all too much.

He stood. Ran. Escaped.  
He just wanted to forget.

* * *

 **-a/n-**

Finally… managed to get most of this done when I was ill, but damn college is HARD. I am so ready for the Christmas break.  
I got some random inspiration and decided to change the ending lol. So yeah, it's 200 words down from what it used to be but I'm happy with how it's turned out now c:  
Also thanks to the people that reviewed ^-^ It made my day.

Saw some Light and L cosplayers at comic con. They were handcuffed. I think I may have died a little inside.

Topic for discussion: Lawlight.  
Fanfiction turned me into trash. I swear it's not my fault. But should I include some? ?


End file.
